Is the C3 really any better than the old Picasso?

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 09 March 2017 - 05:01 PM

Our 13 year old Exclusive was a 60th birthday present for my wife with a view to touring France which never happened. It hasn't been any trouble with the only problems being a Cat (Nicked!!) and very recently a new battery and glow plugs but we have a yen for something newer. My own car is a MK3 Galaxy which has been a very disappointing replacement for my previous MK1 and MK2 but that is another issue although it has made me very nervous about making the same mistake with the Picasso. We have been looking around on and off for about 2 years now and, among other problems, we find the wave of depression when getting into the now standard all black interiors a grear put off and also the near impossible task of squeezing my short legged 6' frame through the door of over 90% of recent models. To put it into perspective all Vauxhalls upto and now including the Zafira are out of bounds along with many others including the latest Sportage.

We have found that the best way of appreciating just how good the Picasso is is to try and find something better and we always drive home wondering what we shall do if it ever dies.

So - the questions are -

How does the C3 compare for ride and comfort? We have given up hope of finding something with second row seating which comes close to the old Picasso.

How do the petrol engines compare with the old 2.0L diesel? We have been disgusted with the performance of the petrol engines in the very few alernatives that I have been able to get into.

I have made very few visits to this site before because the old motor has been so reliable that we just take it for granted and our Daughter in law is now lusting after it if we ever find anythig to replace it.

Interests:winding down and cruising to avoid my grown up kids who have diy jobs for me

Posted 09 March 2017 - 05:18 PM

It will come as no surprice to others to read that in my short ownership of a C3 Picasso I absolutely hated it, like you it was to replace the Xsara picasso, but I found it lacked in almost all departments, my son has been lumbered with it now and I went for the early model C4 Picasso, 5 seater, this is, in my opinion, nearer to a suitable replacement for the beloved x/pic

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 09 March 2017 - 05:56 PM

stimulator - Thanks for a quick reply. It is definitely the Picasso I am asking about. There is no way I can get into the saloon or the Cactus or any of the other small cars.

Granpa - That is pretty much what I expected. The old tubs are in a class of their own. I liked the interior of the C4 but it is a bit big for my wife and I found the dash a bit overpowering 'cos I like the simple look. It's a form of transport not a plaything. I was rather hoping for a more encouraging reply but I am glad that I asked. Thanks.

It may seem a bit daft but I keep looking at the Skoda Yeti because it is very close to the footprint of the Picasso. However, this would be a replacement for the MK3 Galaxy which would be a blessing although I am still looking for a good MK2 for that.

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 09 March 2017 - 06:22 PM

I was looking at a Venga yesterday and It was quite impressive - but no road test yet. I did try a Honda Jazz but the 1.3 L petrol engine was pathetic below 4000rpm so I am thinking of sticking with diesels. I think it is all a badly thought out witch hunt. I recovered my old 1.9L MK2 Galaxy from my son as his local Garage had condemned it as past repair. On the 90 mile trip home (50mpg!) I just wanted to carry on up the M6 to Scotand and keep going, It cost me £200 to get it repaired and through the MOT and the emissions were noted as being unmeasurable after 200K miles and 15 years of careful neglect. Sadly, he has now taken it back.

Just (1st March) bought my second Venga. Solid, but like a brick s-i-h-u-e, good performer with lots of room inside for my large elderly frame. Looks small on the outside but big on the inside. Once again I went for the 1.6 petrol 3 6 speed torque converter Auto.

I believe the new c4 pic is smaller than the original c4 pic. There is new c3 pic coming out mid year, but if you Want a bigger car then you have to go c 4 or alternate maker. Unlike grandad I found the c 3 pic to be just what I wanted,unlike the c 4 which wasn't. Now I am changing to new c 3 auto in April, petrol . As there is only one of me now i dont need a big car.

Go try a c 3 pic, an new shape c 4 pic only you can tell if its what you want not us.

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 10 March 2017 - 06:28 PM

All good honest comments and thanks to all.

I am sorelely tempted to grab one of the pre-reg Platinums on offer at the moment but SWMBO will have to be convinced first. I am sure it would look better on the drive and maybe encouraged to sit in the garage next to the Gal.

I think it is now between this and a Venga or...... No!, I don't think another Xsara Pic is an option 'cos there's nowt wrong with the old one.

It wouldn't be the first time we've ended up with 3 or even 4 cars between 2 drivers 'cos we can't bear to say "Goodbye" The kids do very well out of us.

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 11 March 2017 - 03:18 PM

Just come back from the local Renault/Dacia dealer who was also Skoda dealer until a couple of years ago. Still not much to chose from. I could get into the now huge Scenic with difficulty but not something I should want to do too often. The owner (family business) told me to forget the Dacias as their petrol engines were worse than the Honda Jazz. Tried the Roomster, now discontinued but any port in a storm, and getting in wasn't too bad but I'd never have been able to see any traffic lights. Sat in a Yeti again and it is still a toss up between that, the Venga and the C3 Pic. (or hoping for another 10 years from the old Pic.)

This is getting seriously worrying!

Granpa. Do you mean to say that there is ever an option of repayment?? How do you manage that?

I don't mind so long as they work hard and don't sit on their backsides twittering, facebooking or playing silly computer games and mine don't I'm relieved to be able to say.

A quick thought... Aren't we supposed to shrink as we get older? Maybe in 10 years time I'll be able to get into a 10 year old car so if I buy one now.............

Interests:winding down and cruising to avoid my grown up kids who have diy jobs for me

Posted 11 March 2017 - 05:03 PM

Shrink down to a Smart car, just got back from fittin 2 outside security lights for the lad, bloody useless he is, hope I can watch him when I am cruising the Astral plain or whatever they call it, should be amusing

right, after owning 4 xsara picasso's, the latter one which was my longest ownership of a car was a 1.6 hdi 92 desire. i regret that i listened to my head rather than my heart and let it go last july as the sills were bad, and changing jobs to 3 miles up the road, i sold it on after 5.5 years faithful service. (new owner we know so i still get to see it live on, and service it). i replaced it with my wife's 207, and we bought her a 1.6hdi 11 reg c3 picasso. ours is the connexion model with climate control and sat nav. the 8v 90bhp 1.6hdi is absolute gem. £30 tax and goes like the preverbial on very little juice. dpf we are not worried about, as wifes work is a mix of roads and theres meetings once a month at different branches so it gets a leg stretch. 50 mpg average bit more on a run. my only gripe is its not quite as big as xpic, but rear seats fold flat in seconds so lugging loads quicker. however i do find the seats are not what we expect from citroen. if it had similar seats to my old xpic, i would have replaced the 207 with a 2nd one.

so because of the seats, that is the only reason i have opted to try the kia venga. had it a month, it feels a more solid car, think build quality is better, and seating is very comfortable. i have the 1.4 crdi 89 bhp. it has 6 speed box, and it feels more planted to the road especially in corners etc. ours is 3 years old with 18k on, so we have 4 years warranty left, but we bought it for similar price that we found the c3 picasso diesels at, and they were older. i like the venga, but the diesel does feel and sound a bit agrcultural. if it was as smoother sounding and power delivered like the c3 pic, it would be top notch. it had to go back so kia lent me a 12 month old 1.6 auto. i loved it. if you can swallow the extra tax fuel consumption, the auto is quick, quiet and very deceptive. not sure if kia do the venga with a more powerful diesel engine, but our budget wouldnt allow for the new c4, and older ones we found were high mileage and looked like they had hard lives.

we have had kias in the past and if this behaves like they did, hopefully it will be reliable. currently getting 52 mpg average which aint bad at all. i think the c3 pic is due to be replaced, i hope they do something about the seats as it was the only thing stopping me having a 2nd. hope this helps

Interests:winding down and cruising to avoid my grown up kids who have diy jobs for me

Posted 13 March 2017 - 08:03 AM

Strangly my niggle with the C4 pic, early model, is the method of dropping the rear seat, having to find and tug a bit of ribbon smacks strongly of a last minute afterthought by Citroen, luckily it is rarely used now, but its nice having three individual recliners in the back, a feature I liked from the original Xpic

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 13 March 2017 - 06:07 PM

Mrickle. Many thanks for all of the information and opinion which supports my own opinion of the Venga albeit without driving one yet. Can I assume that the 1.6 auto Venga you borrowed was a diesel? I shouldn't hold your breath about the seats in the C3 as most manufacturers seem to have lost the plot in that department. I think it is all down to the trend in fold flat rear seats and some misguided notion that everyone wants "Sports" seats in the front.

Granpa. Yes, the 3 recliners in the back of the C4 are very tempting but I find myself recoiling a bit from the raised part of the Dash on the one I sat in. I am seriously considering hiring an assortment on a daily basis to get a real feel for them. My experience with the MK3 Galaxy has competely destroyed any remaining faith the the professional motoring pundits and first impressions.

Unfortunately, my 6' frame is still a major problem. Our visit to a Renault dealer on Saturday did nothing to add to our options and it just seems that a lot of cars that I could have got into 3 years ago have now become smaller as a result of "improvements" and those that remain seem to have lost a lot of interest in basic comforts to pay for a load of useless gadgets and misguided safety improvements.

Hi no the auto was a 1.6 petrol. It's not as great on juice as claimed but it is a proper auto and not a semi auto as most are these days. Don't think Kia do the venga with diesel auto option which is a bit weird. You would think that these mini mpv would have diesel autos. Never worked out why Citroen did the xsara car in diesel auto but not the picasso. Would have thought this had cost them a lot in notability customers alone. My venga is back. I enjoyed the auto, but found it very lively compared to mine. If i had another and could talk the wife around, then I'd compromise and have the auto. Apart from fuel i was very impressed. If kia diesel turns out to be as Citroens for quiet and driveability then we would consider dropping the c3 pic for a 2nd one albeit the 1.6 version

Interests:Looking after SWMBO suffering from Myeloma since 2010.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing and then finding reasons to put them off.

Posted 17 March 2017 - 11:34 AM

Many thanks for all the feedback. It was always going to be down to the "Suck it and see." test which was yesterday. We had a quick test of a pre-reg C3 and I had the drive 'cos my wife hasn't really driven for almost a year because of all the treatment etc. I immediately felt at home in it and it just felt right which is something I don't get from the Galaxy even after 4 years. We dropped it back, had chat and started for home for a think but we immediately realised the the "It ain't like the old pic." thing wasn't happening so we turned round and did the deal - pick it up tomorrow. It has put the smile back on SWMBO's face so we're both happy.

We got the old Exclusive new for £10650 and this Platinum 1.6 blue HDI came in at just £1000 more with 4 miles on the clock so really a no brainer.

When we went to look for a replacement car for the C3 Saloon we had, I was all for a C3 Pic, but SWMBO didn't like the look of it, the box shape she said was like a post office van or even a hearse. Well after a look and a test drive she still felt she wanted something bigger than the C3 Pic., something more akin to the Xsara Pic that we used to own. So we drove a C4 Pic with EGS. That was as she said more comfortable and she liked the semi auto-box but not the handbrake. We took a second hand C4 . After 6 months she hated it, so much so that she refused to drive it, the auto-box was jerky, the handbrake a total nightmare to her and the front seat collapsed and the car just too big for her to feel comfortable in when driving it. So we went back and had another test drive in a C3 Pic, this time it was all smiles from her. Gone the awful handbrake, back to a gear lever and despite her original misgivings comfortable seats and ride. She loved the C3 Pic even later when she was terminally ill, riding in the back She could no longer drive and her wheel chair fitted in the boot. Unfortunately she passed away in January and even though I still like the C3 Pic it is being replaced with a new C3 saloon with the fully automatic box. As I am on my own now I don't need the boot space or lay completely flat seats in the rear. As others have said, choosing, buying and living with a car is down to personal taste, choice and needs. It's your car you buy it you live with it. The running costs go with the ownership. do DPF, dual mass flywheel put me off?, NO, it part of the cost of ownership. OK this time I am going petrol but that's because there is no fully auto diesel in the range. This is a torque converter not a flappy paddle box.